Booklaunch Scenekunstklassikere no. 6

Welcome to the book launch of Scenkunstklassiker #6: «Golden Ája Lapland Casino & Motel» by Sigbjørn Skåden

Scenekunstklassiker #6 is written by Sigbjørn Skåden and revolves around his own work Golden Ája Lapland Casino & Motel from 2015, created in collaboration with visual artist and architect Joar Nango. Golden Ája Lapland Casino & Motel was a unique, one-night interactive theatre installation. The performance took place in an abandoned prayer house in Balsfjord, Troms, and addressed themes related to Indigenous autonomy.

Behind the project was a research trip to Indigenous reservations and other Indigenous structures in four U.S. states, where Skåden and Nango drew inspiration to transfer such autonomous mechanisms to Sámi contexts. The result was an installation in the form of a Sámi casino, where the audience was given access to a full casino experience. Visitors could gamble on roulette, blackjack, and poker with their own money, as well as purchase private experiences from the casino’s hostesses. In addition, through the casino’s promotional material, the audience got to know the mysterious founder of the casino: the Sámi investor and entrepreneur Anders Andersson Labba.

Sigbjørn Skåden, from Láŋtdievvá/Planterhaugen in Southern Troms, is a Sámi author who writes in both Sámi and Norwegian. He made his debut in 2004 with the poetry collection Skuovvadeddjiid gonagas (The Shoemakers’ King), and has since published a number of works, including another poetry collection, a children’s book, and three novels. His body of work also includes a significant number of texts for the stage and cross-disciplinary art projects. Among other achievements, Skåden has been named Young Artist of the Year at Riddu Riđđu, nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize and the P2 Listeners’ Novel Prize, and has received the Havmann Prize for the best book of the year by a Northern Norwegian author.